1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a removable device allowing stationary swimming in an above-ground swimming pool or self-supporting swimming pool.
More precisely, the invention is attached to a device allowing stationary swimming in a water basin suitable for holding a relatively small volume of water, in particular, a swimming pool of reduced dimensions, preferable removable or above-ground.
It is especially thought to apply the invention for stationary swimming in small above-ground swimming pools, such as removable swimming pools, consisting for example of a pliable, water-proof liner that is kept in shape by a rigid or flexible peripheral structure, the invention allowing confirmed swimmers with or without flippers or beginning or still learning swimmers to move around in the middle of said swimming pools.
The invention is also applicable to the equipment of water basins or swimming pools that are intended to be used for conditioning or adaptive aquatics, under medical supervision or not, of persons recovering from an illness or an accident and for whom swimming in large swimming pools would be premature and not advisable, or even dangerous.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
The majority of water basins allowing stationary swimming make use of tethers, being elastic or not, and tie the swimmer who is equipped with a harness or a lap belt to one or several fixed points on the rim of the swimming pool or on the bottom of the swimming pool. The invention relates to a system applying a method of this kind.
In the documents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,247,096, 4,577,859, 4,527,795, 6,251,049 GB-2 214 800, GB-2 382 525, WO-2002/09824, WO-2004/012827, the swimmer is either tied by a tether, elastic or not (U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,795), to a fixed point, generally by a ring incorporated into the side wall of the swimming pool or to a rigid structure that is solidly tied into one of the end sides of the swimming pool, or to the upper portion of a pole that is firmly placed into the ground outside of the water basin, thus allowing to block or to reduce the effects of progression of the swimmer in the water basin.
The devices described in the aforementioned documents apply necessarily to swimming pools built of solid and rigid materials allowing the fastening of the attachment points to the walls of said swimming pools or to a pole placed in the ground, outside of and in proximity to said pools.
The known aforementioned devices do not allow their implementation on removable pliable swimming pools, such as those formed by a pool of water supported by an inflatable ring or more generally those formed by a liner placed on the ground, the bottom surface of the liner resting directly on the ground which may not be perfectly flat.
Furthermore, swimming pools equipped with one or several hitching points on their rims present a potential source of injuries, for example, while children are playing in the water. Besides, the rims are rather unaesthetic due to the presence of auxiliary devices attached to the edge of the swimming pools.